# What tobacco is better than Escudo?



## RichieR (Feb 15, 2008)

I know... I know....you don't have to tell me...it's all subjective and everything, and we should smoke what we like, and all that....and I totally agree.

BUUUUTTT.....for those of ya'll pipers who appreciate Escudo....does it get better than Escudo?

For you Escudo fans....is there anything better? Truthfully! I think it's called 3 nuns...is that better? What's better than Escudo? 

If there is something better..then, I need to know.


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

I have actually never had three nuns, but I have yet to find a vaper besides a sample of a bufflehead vaper I had that was better. I really enjoy Fillmore and Waccamaw, but Escudo is by far my favorite. Seems to hit the spot every time.


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## RevSmoke (Feb 20, 2008)

Personally, Gawith & Hoggarth Louisiana Flake is better.

As you say, that is my own personal opinion.


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

I personally prefer Esoterica Dorchester and Solani 633 Flake to Escudo. Can't really say they are better, but I do prefer them


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

dunhill navy rolls...course that could be due to age


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## smokinmojo (Jan 24, 2005)

There is no Va/per IMO better than Escudo. Having said that, I prefer vintage Three Nuns to vintage Escudo. (both are pretty good huh!) Every other blend depends on my mood.....If im feelin Dunhill its Elizabethan Mixture. If im feeling McCLelland its 2015 or St James Woods....Or try G&H Louisiana Flake for something completely different, and awesome if you like the lakeland district tobaccos.


There are a bunch of good if not great Virginia/perique tobacco blends.It really does come down to what you like.

good luck!

craige


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## RichieR (Feb 15, 2008)

Thanks for the input, folk. 

I guess I'm still new to this. I've tried about 30 or so blends by now ...in my 1 year pipe career, and Escudo is maybe like ...the door that might lead to even better things....but maybe not. 

I will look into the suggestions here, as I try to isolate the best. If I find something better than Escudo, then it will make this hobby all the more interesting.

I have some HOTW on the way...we will see what that is like. 

Happy puffing!


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## smokehouse (Jan 31, 2007)

As for Vapers next to Escudo I like Telegraph Hill so far. 

The one thing I love about pipe tobacco is that its hard to find two tobaccos a like. I like change and I would get bored with smoking the same thing all the time, so its nice to have a wide range of tobaccos to chose from. Its a little overbearing when you first get into smoking pipes because you want to try everything but thats the fun part.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I'm partial to Gawith's St James Flake


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## fireman43 (Oct 15, 2006)

Better than Escudo.....Not even close IMO, but Tavern Tobaccos "Thunder Road" is a great one that I enjoy and as Evan stated the Solani 633 is right up there as well. The TR is the first VaPer I have really been able to really taste the VA and the Perique individually as well as in unison. Oh, and it's all because of Evan that I even tried those two because he was trying to convert me from my whoring Escudo ways.p


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

i think a read of slow triathaletes "va/per showdown" would be good for you, if you haven't read all his reviews of different va/pers.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

I smoked a bowl of Peterson's Escudo on the way to work this morning.
Two weeks ago I was on a Rattray's Old Gowry bender.
Week before that was Gawith's Full Virginia Flake.

They're all the best for me, on any given day. This is another one of those "How long is a ball of string?" questions. While it's OK to ask, "How long is a ball of string?", but there is no useful answer.


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## joed (Nov 12, 2005)

RichieR said:


> Thanks for the input, folk.
> 
> I guess I'm still new to this. I've tried about 30 or so blends by now ...in my 1 year pipe career, and Escudo is maybe like ...the door that might lead to even better things....but maybe not.
> 
> ...


Better than Escudo - maybe a lot of things - sort of depends - but - if you like escudo - you need to find some "Vintage Escudo" - that is definitely better than Escudo.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

joed said:


> Better than Escudo - maybe a lot of things - sort of depends - but - if you like escudo - you need to find some "Vintage Escudo" - that is definitely better than Escudo.


Yup...what Joe said. The only thing better than Escudo is old Cope's Escudo made in the UK from 30 years ago.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

EvanS said:


> I personally prefer Esoterica Dorchester and Solani 633 Flake to Escudo. Can't really say they are better, but I do prefer them


:tpd: IMHO, The above are far better than Escudo, unless you have some Escudo with 5 or 6 years of age on it. That is good stuff, however, for everyday tins, the above are much better, as is Bell's 3 Nuns and McClelland 2015 with about a good year of age on it. The 2015 comes in bulk, very reasonable in price, and is a throughly enjoyable vaper blend!


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## RichieR (Feb 15, 2008)

Bruce said:


> Yup...what Joe said. The only thing better than Escudo is old Cope's Escudo made in the UK from 30 years ago.


30 years ago!!! I'm still to much of a noob at pipe smoking...but maybe one day, I'll get my hands on one of those 30 year old tins.

Happy puffing.
:cb


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

RichieR said:


> but maybe one day, I'll get my hands on one of those 30 year old tins.


I'd recommend forgetting the "someday" as they aint getting any cheaper.


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## hagen (Jun 10, 2007)

these days, three nuns has no perique in it.

i adore _escudo_ (and it is the exact same blend as dunhill's _dlnr_), which is rather strange, as it's made in denmark and i don't normally find danish tobaccos that interesting - perhaps because of the high amount of aroma additives and sweeteners. _st. james flake_ i find a lot more austere tasting, but still a very fine va-per, and i think it may have excellent aging capability. even more austere is germain's _royal jersey perique,_ very fine leaf, but not my favourite everyday smoke!

so imo, for everyday really delicious va-per, escudo is the winner.


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## paperairplane (Nov 8, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> dunhill navy rolls...course that could be due to age


Winner winner chicken dinner.


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## jgros001 (Jun 14, 2005)

I am going to have to open a tin of this!


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

2015 is absolutely one of my favorite smokes. 

I have some Reiner's Long Golden Flake that needs to get tried out soon.


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## DubintheDam (Jun 5, 2007)

I think the question should be...What baccy's do you find are in the same category of taste, quality and reputation as Escudo?

Well, I have a tin of Long Golden Flake and 633 which I have yet to 'pop'. Both high quality and reputed VA/per flakes....but I am surprised Scottish Cake (VA/per- McConnells) gets little mention in previous postings and for me although it contains no Perique; *Rattray's Marlin Flake* is very similar in it's fruity, strong dark and spicey navy style flavours.

To Conclude I find it hard to believe anybody who like Escudo's wouldn't like Marlin Flake. I know IHT rates it, but as a devotee of EScu that's high praise indeed...indeed.


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## MarkinCA (Jun 13, 2007)

Excellent thread with great comments...:tu


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

DubintheDam said:


> I think the question should be...What baccy's do you find are in the same category of taste, quality and reputation as *Escudo*?
> 
> Well, I have a tin of *Long Golden Flake* and *633* which I have yet to 'pop'. Both high quality and reputed VA/per flakes....but I am surprised *Scottish Cake* (VA/per- McConnells) gets little mention in previous postings and for me although it contains no Perique; *Rattray's Marlin Flake* is very similar in it's fruity, strong dark and spicey navy style flavours.
> 
> To Conclude I find it hard to believe anybody who like Escudo's wouldn't like Marlin Flake. I know IHT rates it, but as a devotee of EScu that's high praise indeed...indeed.


all of those in bold are darn good tobaccos (even if MF isn't a va/per).
mcconnels is underrated, although we did give it some good pub about a year ago, and those that know how good it is seem to keep it to themselves. it's made by K&K, who also make a # of other blends for other companies, namely Rattrays stuff.

as far as DDNR is concerned, being the dsame as escudo, i have to totally disagree after having sampled both side by side. they look alike, use to come in the same sized tin, but tasted/smelled nothing alike. DDNR is decent, just not the same tobacco with different label as escudo "to me".

i'm down to 9 tins of the smaller tinned ACP escudo, and only 1 DDNR (only had two).

i really think that there are a lot of really good Va/Pers out there, something for whatever you're in the mood for (heavy perique, light perique, tangy vas, smokey vas, etc).
slow triathelets VA/Per showdown is a very good read for this. i think he even ranked Scottish Cake higher than Escudo.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

I'm coming very late to this thread, but I now feel like I've had more than enough va/pers to compare. 

The winner for me is Fillmore. Turns out I like a good slap of perique with all its stewed fruit and peppery flavors. It also has a creamy quality in both tast and smoke color that I've yet to see from another va/per. 

Escudo is delicious and refined, but it's more subtle than I care for, and at times reminds calls to mind perique cigarettes - whereas Fillmore is more cigar-like for me. 

Luxury Bullseye Flake gets an honorable mention. It's a blend I wish I liked the best due to it's relative low cost in bulk, but I've got a feeling age will curb the hay-like qualities of its virginias.


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## Alpedhuez55 (Dec 16, 2005)

drastic_quench said:


> Luxury Bullseye Flake gets an honorable mention. It's a blend I wish I liked the best due to it's relative low cost in bulk, but I've got a feeling age will curb the hay-like qualities of its virginias.


Have not tried the Bullseye, but the Luxury Navy Flake is a very good one From Stokkebeye as well. I can get it cheap at one of the local B&Ms too!!!! Has that Hay smell in the bag and a little fruit flavor in the mouth.


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## RichieR (Feb 15, 2008)

Whoa! It's been a while since this thread has seen some light.

I don't recall the full contents of the thread anymore, but, these days, I hear a lot more folk referring to Hal O' The Wynd as a va/per, now. If that's the case, then I'd say HOTW gives Escudo some pretty good competition for top spot.


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## Trumpet (Apr 6, 2006)

About ten years ago, I got to try some 65-ish year old Capstain Navy. Unreal. Def better than Escudo. :happy:


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

drastic_quench said:


> I'm coming very late to this thread, but I now feel like I've had more than enough va/pers to compare.
> 
> The winner for me is Fillmore. Turns out I like a good slap of perique with all its stewed fruit and peppery flavors. It also has a creamy quality in both tast and smoke color that I've yet to see from another va/per.
> 
> Escudo is delicious and refined, but it's more subtle than I care for, and at times reminds calls to mind perique cigarettes - whereas Fillmore is more cigar-like for me.


I stand by my 2009 verdict. Fillmore is consistently one of the very best and satisfying smokes in my rotation. After trying most va/pers, Fillmore is the only one I buy.


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

In vapers, to me SG St James Flake is #1, followed by Escudo, then Petersons Irish Oak.


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## italiansmoker (Sep 30, 2009)

Better than Escudo... is Cope's Escudo! (Olé Bruce!)


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## Katharsis (Jun 15, 2011)

I particularly like Reiner Long Golden Flake. It's got burley in it as well, if you don't mind that, and I think it's a little lighter on the Perique than Escudo, but I find it overall fuller and richer.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

While many a time I find myself liking certain other VA/Pers more, I don't think any of them are better than Escudo at what Escudo does.


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